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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-07 -- Summer-FallFast Fact: The City Council will be holding additional work session meetings various times throughout the year. These work sessions are open to the public. Agendas for the work sessions will be available on the website prior to the meeting, at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. Select Government, Council, Agenda Packets, 2016. Upcoming Work Sessions: July 14, August 11, September 8 Construction Begins in Downtown Corcoran Have you notfced all the actfvity in the downtown business area of Corcoran? The City utflity and street improvements contfnue in downtown Corcoran. Phase 1, which includes Commerce Street south of County Road 10 and north of Auger Avenue, is currently in progress. Installatfon of sanitary sewer is approximately 20% complete, installatfon of the water main is approximately 15% complete, and installatfon of storm sewer is 10% complete. Road is closed at Commerce Street and County Road 10, with traffic detoured to 75th Avenue North and County Road 116. Phase 1 is scheduled to be completed by mid-July. Phase 2 of the infrastructure project includes Auger Avenue and Commerce Street and is scheduled to begin mid-July. Phase 3 of the infrastructure project includes 75th Avenue North and is scheduled to begin mid-October. For weekly status updates on the downtown Corcoran utflity and street improvements project, please click here. Summer/Fall 2016 Momentum www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Corcoran News Summer/Fall 2016 A few years back I read the book “One word that will change your life” by Dan Britton and others. The basic premise is to get away from endless goals and focus on one word that will be your driving force for the year. Here is a recap of my words since my initfal reading. 2014: Focus I began working for the City in July 2013 and with six months under my belt had a sense of the organizatfon and what areas needed attentfon. The emphasis on focus helped to select areas to concentrate the energy of the organizatfon which included reviewing our processes, people, and structure. It was also in 2014 when the Council adopted its mission, vision, values, and strategic goals. 2015: Action Having a strong sense of where we wanted to go, I chose actfon as my 2015 word. This provided the boost to take on important projects at the directfon of Council. This included the reorganizatfon of the Administratfon Department, setting up systems for the new suburban development taking place, securing $50,000 in grant funds towards our goals, and moving forward with the downtown utflity and street improvement project to name just a few. 2016: Momentum This brings me to 2016, in which my word is the tftle of this artfcle. Momentum. Big projects are moving forward, new investments are being seen around the community, a new staff structure is in place, community outreach is increasing, financial objectfves are being achieved, and long-term planning is taking place. While some may not see a big difference, I see an organizatfon building on successes and increasingly capable at all levels to meet the needs of the City today as well in the years ahead. I’m proud to be a part of such a great community and I look forward to building off the momentum as we contfnually strive towards the City’s goals through our adopted vision: “The City of Corcoran will expand opportunities for its residents by supporting life cycle housing, recreational amenities, a vibrant business community, and a strong downtown city center while preserving its natural character and agricultural roots.” Sincerely, Brad Martens City Administrator 8-9 City Council 2016 Strategic Goals Updates In 2015, the City Council directed staff to focus on seven strategic goals for the City. Here is an update on how each strategic goal is progressing in 2016: Complete Downtown Utility and Street Improvement Project Constructfon has begun with focus on the northern project boundary (near County Road 10). Constructfon will contfnue through summer 2016. Click here for weekly updates to the downtown utflity and street improvement project. Pave Gravel Collector Roads Staff is working on background informatfon on the costs of maintaining paved and gravel roads; staff is also drafling an assessment policy for consideratfon in late July or early August. Regional Recreation Amenity Plan (Athletic Complex on Roehlke property) Discussion took place at the February 11 Work Session, and March 10 City Council meetfng. This item will have contfnued discussion as part of the 2017 budget process. Establish a Business Group As part of the survey of downtown business owners, staff asked about the desire of having a Corcoran business group. Limited support existed and no further actfon is being taken at this tfme. Establish Night to Unite! Program The City is going to build on the success of the 2015 Night to Unite! program. This year’s events will take place on Tuesday, August 2. New this year the City will be hostfng an event at the Corcoran Public Works facility. Updates on the 2016 Night to Unite! will be available on the City’s website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. See page 5 for Night to Unite! 2016 event informatfon. Update Sign Ordinance The City Council adopted the updated ordinance at the July 23, 2015, City Council meetfng. Improve the City Council Chamber Video recording equipment is installed and being tested. The goal is to have the system up and running in July. This will allow video of City Council meetfngs to be placed on the City’s website for the public to view. 6 Page Page 11 Recycling Guide Public Safety/Public Works 4 Page Emerald Ash Bore Page 5 Parks and Recreation Environmental Page 12  Page 2 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Page Environmental 12 Page 13 Local Community News Recycling Information Page 8 Environmental Page 7 Page Corcoran Happenings 14 Page 10 9 Page City Updates The City Council meets on the second and fourth Thursday’s of the month at 7:00 pm at City Hall. The following is a recap of a selection of items discussed at meetings since the last newsletter. A full recap can be found by reviewing the approved City Council minutes on the City’s website . Downtown Utility and Street Improvement Project  Approved constructfon materials testfng service with Braun Intertec.  Approved easement purchase agreements. Elm Creek Watershed Water Quality Regulations and Projected Impact  Reviewed antfcipated work related to water quality regulatfons; heard an update from Commissioner Jon Bottema on discussions from the Elm Creek Watershed Commission.  Reappointed Jon Bottema to the Elm Creek Watershed Commission. Continued on page 3... Most Requested Building Permit Fees Reroofing, Re-siding $91 each Windows-in same openings $91 Furnace or A/C unit Replacement $76/unit Gas Fireplace $101 General Plumbing $51+ Water Heater Replacement $21 Water Soflener Replacement $16 *All of the above fees include the State Surcharge ($1) and can typically be issued immediately at City Hall. Building a Deck? There are a lot of composite or “maintenance free” decking materials being sold at popular home improvement stores such as Menards, Home Depot, and Lowes, etc. These composites are not specifically approved by State Building Code and require testfng, approvals, and licensing to prove they meet minimum Code standards. Some manufacturers do not have their product properly tested and licensed, which means they will not pass State Building Code and cannot be used. Others may require smaller joist spacing or special fasteners. Please contact Metro West Inspectfons at 763-479-1720 to check if your proposed product is an approved decking material. If you have any other building code related questfons please stop by the Corcoran City Hall or call Mike Pritchard at 763-400-7033. City Updates Continued... General Obligation Bonds — Downtown Utility and Street Improvement Project  Received an update on the City’s bond ratfng and results of a bond sale; awarded the sale of bonds for the project with a true interest cost of 1.72%. Neighborhood Meeting Recap — Willow/Larkin Drive Pavement Project  Received a report following up on the March 29 neighborhood meetfng; staff was directed to work on obtaining financial informatfon related to maintaining paved and gravel roads, and to drafl an assessment policy for review.  Staff is reviewing the assessment policy and will be ready for Council review in late July or early August. Annual Fire Department Reports  Received updates from the Fire Chiefs of the City’s three fire departments (Hanover, Loretto, and Rogers). Ravinia 4th Addition PUD Final Plan and Plat  Approved the final plat and development contract for Ravinia 4th additfon; this additfon includes the platting of 44 lots bringing the total number of approved lots to 145. Park Dedication Ordinance Amendment—Draft for Council Review  Presented a drafl of the updated park dedicatfon ordinance, Council provided feedback on the drafl ordinance; drafl ordinance will come back to Council for consideratfon at a future meetfng. 2015 Surplus Allocation  Directed staff to use the 2015 surplus to eliminate an unfunded liability from a previous development, allocate monies towards building reserves in the directfon of the established fund balance goal, and place the remaining balance in a long range planning fund. 2015 Audit  Abdo, Eick and Meyers presented the results of the 2015 audit which included a clean opinion (best available); accepted the 2015 audit results. Compensation Study Survey Results  Accepted the results of the compensatfon study and appointed a sub-committee of Mayor Guenthner and Councilmember LaFave to further review the informatfon. Crew Leader Appointment — Brandon Heinz  Appointed Brandon Heinz to the positfon of Public Works Crew Leader. Improvement Hearing — Dust Control Treatements 2016  A Public Hearing meetfng was held on May 26, regarding Dust Control treatments in 2016. Ordered improvement of dust control treatments to be applied, with an amendment to remove petftfoned streets from the program. City Initiated Private Drive Ordinance  Approved the ordinance amendment allowing private drives that access paved roads to be gravel afler a 75 foot paved apron. Directed staff to look into issues associated to building rights related to the private drive discussion. Corcoran Southeast Plan and Design Guideline Update  Approved ordinances and resolutfons to adopt the Southeast Plan and Design Guidelines. Sketch Plan for Roalstad Property  Reviewed a sketch plan for 11 lots off of King Ben Road; provided feedback on street alignment, tree preservatfon, and trails/sidewalks. Solar Workshop Follow-Up  Directed staff to drafl an ordinance to be reviewed at the Planning Commission meetfng on August 4, and at the Council meetfng on August 25. Corcoran Southeast District Market Analysis  Approved staff to proceed with a downtown market study using long range planning funds to pay for City costs; half of the costs of the project will be funded by a Hennepin County grant. Ordinance Update to Allow Minor Subdivisions  Received staff request to amend ordinance to allow for minor subdivisions through administratfve approval; Directed staff to drafl an ordinance amendment for the Planning Commission meetfng on August 4, and at the Council meetfng on August 25. Building Permits  Page 3 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Parks & Recreation Source: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/eab/index.html What is Emerald Ash Bore (EAB)? Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a non-natfve invasive insect that destroys ash trees. A quarantfne has been placed on Ramsey, Hennepin, Houston, and Winona countfes to help slow the spread of EAB. It is against the law to move the following items out of EAB-quarantfned countfes:  Firewood from hardwood trees  Entfre ash trees  Ash limbs or branches  Ash logs or untreated ash lumber with bark attached  Uncomposted ash chips and uncomposted ash bark chips great than 1 inch in two dimensions When Can I Detect Emerald Ash Bore? Late winter is a good tfme to discover EAB infested ash by looking for woodpecker actfvity. Here is what to look for:  Light-colored patches on the trunk and large branches where woodpeckers have flaked off bark  Holes within the light colored patches where woodpeckers have dug out larvae What Do I Need to Know? EAB kills ash trees, and it does so in great numbers. In North America, it has already killed millions of ash trees. Once established, tree diseases do not go away on their own. EAB will have a huge effect on Minnesota’s landscape and the 998 million ash trees that grow in our citfes and forests. Tree experts estfmate that if Minnesota experiences widespread infestatfon, it will lose most, if not all, of its ash trees. When EAB adult insects emerge from a tree, they usually only fly a couple of hundred yards to another tree to lay eggs. Though they do not fly far, they fly in abundance, and there is little tree experts think they can do to stop its inevitable spread. Repercussions to citfes and towns include loss of street trees, property values, beauty , and shade, decreased air quality, increased electricity use during hot weather, and costs for removing dead trees and plantfng new ones. Why Do We Need to be Concerned? Confirmed trees aftficted with EAB were found in Ramsey County, near Highway 280. The Twin Citfes quarantfne area now includes both Hennepin and Ramsey countfes. In additfon, Houston county located in southeastern Minnesota, received a state/federal quarantfne in early 2009 afler reports confirmed discovery of the insect across the Mississippi River border in Wisconsin. In the 1960s, ash trees were supported by many foresters as good replacements for the elm trees taken out by Dutch elm disease. Statewide, there are approximately 937 million ash trees, the second highest in the natfon afler Maine. References: Emerald Ash Borer Status Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Plant Protection Quarentine (PPQ) University of Minnesota, Extension Service Fast Fact: Many homeowners and tree care professionals want to protect ash trees from EAB. Much has been learned about these insects, and methods to protect Ash trees. For more information visit: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/documents/Multistate_EAB_Insecticide_Fact_Sheet.pdf In Minnesota, if you suspect you may have EAB in your ash trees, call 888-545-6684 or the national EAB hotline at 866-322-4512. For a full map view click here or visit www.emeraldashborer.info/documents/ MultiState_EABpos.pdf What To Know About EAB www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  Page 4 Summer/Fall 2016 North America EAB County Detections Source: www.emeraldashborer.info Woodpeckers eat EAB larvae and can also be a sign of EAB infestatfon. Canopy dieback can be a sign of EAB infestatfon. EAB will create an escape hole that looks like half a circle. Infested firewood can transfer EAB to new locatfons. Most likely came from Asia in wood packing material. EAB is a green, jewel beetle natfve to eastern Asia. It feeds on ash trees. Fast Fact: The Night to Unite! is Minnesota’s offshoot of National Night Out which was established, and has been held annually since 1984. Night to Unite! is sponsored by the Minnesota Crime Prevention Association, AAA of Minnesota/Iowa and local law enforcement agencies. The event is meant to increase awareness about police programs in communities, such as drug prevention, town and neighborhood watches and other anti- crime efforts. Corcoran celebrates its second year of participating in the national Night to Unite! event!  Page 3 Winter/Spring 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Seasonal Recreation Coordinator www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  Page 5 Summer/Fall 2016 Meet Corcoran’s Seasonal Recreation Coordinator Zoë Kesselring Zoë is a student at the University of Minnesota studying Recreatfon, Park, and Leisure Studies with a minor in Landscape Architecture. The seasonal recreatfon coordinator tasks include assistfng the Corcoran Athletfc Associatfon and Corcoran Soccer Associatfon, working with the Police Department for Night to Unite, and helping with Corcoran Country Daze. Parks & Recreation Open Forum Zoë would like to hear from you about what kind of recreatfon programming interests Corcoran residents. The City will be holding an open forum at City Hall, 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, on July 19, at 6:00 pm, to meet Zoë, and to discuss programming you would like to see in Corcoran. Your input is needed and this forum will be a chance to share your ideas for future parks and recreatfon programming. The Parks and Trails Commission will meet immediately afler the forum at 7:00 pm, and welcomes you to attend the monthly meetfng as well. Please feel free to contact Zoë with any questfons at 763-400-7034 or zkesselring@ci.corcoran.mn.us. Future Parks and Trails Commission Meetings: Jul 19, Aug 11, Sept 20, Oct 18, Nov 15 and Dec 21 Parks & Recreation Corcoran Night to Unite 2016 Join your neighbors across the City of Corcoran on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, to celebrate Night to Unite! Night to Unite! is a natfonwide event designed to strengthen neighborhood and community relatfonships. The Corcoran Police Department encourages partfcipatfon in this celebratfon of community, crime preventfon and strong police/community partnerships. You can get involved by organizing a party for your neighborhood and registering the party online. Click here to register your neighborhood Night to Unite! party. All registered partfes will be visited by Police, Fire, City staff and Elected Officials on Night to Unite!, Tuesday, August 2. Neighborhood partfes may include anything from large cook-outs with games and prizes to small gatherings with root-beer floats. Night to Unite! is sponsored by the City of Corcoran, AAA, and the Minnesota Crime Preventfon Associatfon. To help make your party a success, a party startfng basket will be provided to each registered party with prizes and coupons. Remember, a strong community makes for a safe community. Everything we do to strengthen the tfes among neighbors of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles makes our present and future much brighter. Celebratfng Night to Unite! with the Corcoran Police Department and your neighbors is a positfve way to build and nurture our community by startfng, quite literally, in your own back (or front) yard. For the first tfme ever, the city of Corcoran will be hostfng a city wide celebratfon for those areas that don’t have a party to go to. The event will be held at the Public Works Building, located at 9100 County Road 19. There will be free hot dogs, a free ice cream social, a bounce house, a Bags competftfon, and more! Not sure how to start planning your neighborhood party? Click here to checkout the handy links for additfonal resources in planning your Night to Unite! neighborhood party. For more informatfon please contact the Corcoran Police Department at (763) 420-8966. Please register your party July 21 for this year’s Night to Unite! We look forward to seeing you on August 2! Thunderstorms in Minnesota Public Safety Sharing the Road with Bicyclists Information obtained from www.dps.gov/divisions/ots/pedestrians-bicycles/pages/default.apsx Bicyclists and motorists share equal responsibility for bicycle safety. The number-one contributfng factor to bicycle-vehicle collisions is failure to yield the right-of-way—by bicyclists and drivers alike. Bicycle Rules of the Road and Safety Tips  Bicyclists may ride on all Minnesota roads, except where restricted.  Bicyclists should ride on the road, and must ride in the same directfon as traffic.  Motorists must at all tfmes maintain a three-foot clearance when passing a bicyclist.  Bicyclists must obey all traffic control signs and signals, just as motorists.  Bicyclists must signal their turns and should ride in a predictable manner.  Bicyclists must use a headlight and rear reflectors when it's dark. To increase visibility, add a rear flashing light.  Drivers must drive at safe speeds and be attentfve — look for bicyclists, check blind spots.  Drivers should use cautfon and look twice for riders when turning.  Drivers should use cautfon when opening door upon parking on side of road. Learn more at www.dot.state.mn.us/sharetheroad/ Pedestrian Safety—It’s Everyone’s Responsibility Safety Tips for Drivers  Scan the road and sidewalks ahead for pedestrians. Drive attentfvely and at safe speeds. Remember, pedestrians can be difficult to see, especially in bad weather or at night.  Antfcipate pedestrians especially in urban areas, around schools and colleges.  Before making a turn, look in all directfons for pedestrians.  Look carefully behind your vehicle before backing up, especially for small children.  Watch for people in wheelchairs and motorized carts, who may be below eye level.  Stop for crossing pedestrians at every intersectfon, even those without crosswalks or stoplights. Stop far enough back so drivers in other lanes can also see the pedestrian in tfme to stop.  Do not block crosswalks while stopped, and don’t pass other vehicles stopped for pedestrians. Safety Tips for Pedestrians  Cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersectfons; don’t cross-mid block and obey traffic signals.  Make eye contact with drivers and ensure they see you and will stop.  Clearly show your intentfons to cross.  Watch for turning and passing vehicles.  Look across all lanes for moving vehicles before proceeding.  Contfnue to be alert and watch for vehicles when walking in a crosswalk — drivers aren't always looking for pedestrians.  Use sidewalks where provided — where no sidewalks are provided, it is usually safer to walk facing traffic.  Make it easy for drivers to see you — dress in light colors and wear retro-reflectfve material. Carry a flashlight when it’s dark.  Alcohol and drugs can impair your ability to walk safely, just like they do a person's ability to drive. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety indicates thunderstorms can produce straight-line winds that exceed 100 miles per hour. For this reason you should treat severe thunderstorms just as you would tornadoes. Move to an appropriate shelter if you are in the path of the storm. The strong rush of wind from a thunder- storm is called a downburst. The primary cause is rain-cooled air that accelerates downward, producing potentfally damaging gusts of wind. Strong downbursts can be mistaken for tornadoes, and they're oflen accompanied by a roaring sound similar to that of a tornado. Downbursts can easily overturn mobile homes, tear roofs off houses and topple trees. Minnesota's strongest thunderstorm gust was 85 mph on June 19, 2007, near the City of Goodridge, Minnesota. NWS Guidebook on Thunderstorms, Tornadoes and Lightning: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/ severeweather/resources/ttl6-10.pdf National Weather Service website link: http://1.usa.gov/1Ud3s7G The Corcoran Police Department shares informatfon on Facebook and Twitter regarding emergency informatfon, weekly press releases, special events and other happenings around the community. View or follow the links below for more informatfon: Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Corcoran- Police-Department/459695357400188 Twitter: www.twitter.com/corcoranpolice Corcoran Police Social Media www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 6 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Public Works It’s Not Just Dust! Excerpt of an article “Dust: Don’t Eat It! Control It!,” from http://www.usroads.com/journals/ rmej/9806/rm980603.htm When you see dust coming up from your roads, you're really seeing dollars thrown to the wind. Road dust is made up of fine partfcles that are important to the stability of the road. These fines are small enough to pass through a #200 sieve and feel like powder when rubbed between your fingers. When fines blow away, the gravel road begins to break down. Traffic scatters the coarser aggregate, causing potholes, ruts, washboards, loss of profile, loss of ditch lines, and other problems. Wetting the road surface helps to keep dust-related problems in check. Moisture helps fines adhere to each other and to aggregates, allowing for optfmum compactfon. The trick is to keep the road moist. Calcium Chloride. What Is It? Calcium chloride absorbs water vapor from the air and liquid water from the road bed. At 77 F and 75% humidity, for example, it absorbs more than twice its weight in water. In additfon, calcium chloride solutfons attract more moisture to the road than they give up in evaporatfon. The road remains dense and compact under almost any level of traffic because calcium chloride keeps materials on the road by keeping moisture in the road, even under a burning sun on a sweltering day. Calcium chloride is generally sprayed as a 35% solutfon using a tank truck with a rear- mounted distributfon bar that spreads the liquid evenly over the road. One pass will cover an 8- to 12-foot-wide road. Two passes are needed on roads 16 to 18 feet wide. As soon as calcium chloride enters a road, it's attracted to negatfvely charged soil partfcles, such as clays, which help resist leaching. Calcium chloride may move deeper into the base during wet weather but will rise toward the surface during dry spells. An unpaved road stabilized with calcium chloride retains a moisture. The moisture retained keeps the surface plastfc enough so fines can migrate into gaps formed between aggregates under the varying pressure of car and truck traffic. In short, calcium chloride does the following:  Reduces the amount of gravel needed in constructfon and maintenance.  Extends the service life of the gravel-wearing course, decreasing blading and shaping.  Controls dust and reinforces stabilizatfon.  Helps improve roads when used over tfme. SIDE NOTE: Road projects and engineering studies have shown that using calcium chloride reduces the replacement cost of materials up to 80% as well as cuts grading costs as much as 50%. There are 102 miles of roads in the City of Corcoran of which 63 miles are maintained by the City. Sixty percent of the maintained roads (38 miles) are gravel. Gravel roads are common in rural areas and may be referred to as 'dirt roads' in common speech, but that term is used more for unimproved roads with no surface material added. If well-constructed and maintained, a gravel road is an all-weather road. In order to keep gravel roads in good conditfon, a dust control product is applied to 27 miles of the City’s gravel roads. Benefits of using dust control include a more stabilized road, retained moisture for prolonged periods to reduce dust, a smoother driving surface, and reduced gravel replacement. The dust control product used in 2016 is calcium chloride. Since not all propertfes in Corcoran use gravel roads, the City chose to assess costs related to the project to benefitting propertfes as follows:  Total costs of the project are estfmated and a dollar amount in the City’s general fund is dedicated towards the project.  The remaining costs are assessed to benefitfng propertfes based upon what type of road they live on (neighborhood, high density collector, cul-de-sac, or low density collector).  Affected propertfes are mailed a notfce of the proposed amount to be assessed.  A public hearing is scheduled where affected propertfes can make their views heard formally.  The City Council then chooses to maintain the proposed assessment or adjust the assessments lower. The amount cannot increase afler the notfce has been mailed. The City Council held the Improvement Hearing on May 26, 2016. Dust control has been applied to the scheduled roads. Invoices were mailed to residents in early July. The late charge for past due a past due invoice is 1.5% monthly of the fee and a one-tfme $10.00 late fee for dust control fees not paid by August 31, 2016. Any unpaid dust control fees will be certffied to Hennepin County and will be added to your property tax bill. For more informatfon, contact the City of Corcoran at 763-420-2288. If you would like further informatfon please contact Brad Martens at 763-420-2288 or bmartens@ci.corcoran.mn.us. Gravel or Dirt Roads. What’s the Difference?  page 7 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Environmental Updates  page 8 Winter 2015 Residential Recycling Billing Reminder The City of Corcoran partnered with Randy’s Environmental Services to provide convenient payment optfons to residents for their recycling services. Startfng in 2016, Randy’s Environmental Services, the City’s residentfal recycling contractor, billed residents directly for recycling services. All payments for recycling services are to be made directly to Randy’s Environmental Services. Account logins can be setup and payments can be made through Randy’s Environmental Service’s simple and secure Bill Pay portal at https://secure.randyssanitatfon.com. Payments can also be made over the telephone to Randy’s Environmental Services using a credit/debit card at 763-972-3335, or by mailing in a check to Randy’s Sanitatfon. Invoices were mailed to residents from Randy’s Environmental Services for the annual recycling fee in early 2016. The late charge for past due recycling fees will be 1.5% monthly of the annual fee and a one-tfme $10.00 late fee for recycling fees not paid by August 31, 2016. Be sure to submit your payment for recycling services to Randy’s Environmental Services early to avoid additfonal charges. Any unpaid recycling fees will be certffied to Hennepin County and will be added to your property tax bill. For more informatfon, contact the City of Corcoran at 763-420-2288. 2016 Corcoran Recycling Schedule For more information regarding recycling, please contact Randy’s Environmental Services at 763-972-3335 or visit their website at www.randyssanitatfon.com Fast Fact: What Is Illicit Discharge? Illicit discharge is defined as non-storm water that discharges into our watersheds, and comes in many different forms. The runoff from washing your car, pressure washing your patfo furniture, deck or driveway, over watering of lawns, septfc systems that are not operatfng correctly, and swimming pool discharges are all forms of illicit discharge. Livestock farms that do not properly dispose of manure or runoff from barns, are also forms of illicit discharge and also contribute to pollutfng creeks and streams that flow into main watersheds. www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 8 Summer/Fall 2016 Recycling Required in Commercial Buildings in 2016 In 2014, the Minnesota Legislature expanded recycling requirements to include commercial buildings. Owners with commercial buildings in the seven- county metro area — that also generate four cubic yards of more of trash per week — should be recycling at least three materials effectfve January 1, 2016. Who must collect recycling? Property owners with commercial buildings (including multf-family buildings) located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington countfes. What must be collected? A minimum of three broad materials must be collected for recycling. Possible material types include paper, cans, glass, plastfc, metal, cardboard or organics. Single-sort recycling collectfon with 3+ materials included meet the requirement. Hennepin County Environment and Energy offers funding opportunitfes and advice for businesses. Their staff is available to help make business recycling efforts a success. Businesses can apply for grants, bins, order free signs and receive onsite assistance by visitfng www.hennepin.us/businessrecycling. What Are Neo- Nicotinoids? Paper  Mail, office/school papers  Magazines and catalogs  Newspapers and inserts  Phone books  Shredded paper in closed paper bags Boxes  Cardboard  Cereal and cracker boxes  Shoe boxes, gifl boxes and electronics boxes  Toothpaste, medicatfon, and other toiletry boxes Cartons  Milk cartons  Juice boxes  Soup, broth, and wine cartons Glass  Food and beverage bottles and jars Plastic Bottles and Jugs  Water, soda, and juice bottles  Milk and juice jugs  Ketchup and salad dressing bottles  Dishwashing liquid bottles and detergent jugs  Shampoo, soap and lotfon bottles Cups and containers:  Yogurt, pudding and fruit cups  Disposable cups and bowls  Margarine, cottage cheese, and other containers  Produce, deli, and take out containers Plastic Packaging:  Clear Packaging from toys and electronics Metal  Food and beverage cans Recycle Batteries at City Hall Some batteries contain toxic metals, such as cadmium, lead or mercury, which poses a threat to human health and the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of. City Hall has a battery recycling bin located at the front doors of City Hall. Place batteries in a clear plastfc bag or tape the positfve (+) terminal of lithium and lithium-ion batteries to prevent fires. If you cannot remove the batteries from the device, you will need to bring the entfre device to a Hennepin County drop-off facility. No automotive are batteries accepted. Visit www.hennepin.us/batteryrecycling to locate additfonal drop-off locatfons. Non-Recyclable Materials Styrofoam, plastfc wrap, microwaveable food trays, paper soiled with food, paper plates and towels, drinking glasses, dishes, mirrors, needles, plastfc bags or any containers that held hazardous products. Fast Fact: Illicit Discharge Continued... Eliminatfng illicit discharge is critfcal to restoring our watersheds. When water cannot meet designated uses for drinking water, fishing or recreatfon can be affected, waterfront home values fall; fish harvestfng can be restricted or halted; and illicit discharges can close beaches, primarily as a result of bacteria contaminatfon. In additfon to public health impacts associated with illicit discharges, aquatfc life and wildlife are significantly impacted. Numerous fish kills and other aquatfc life losses have occurred as a result of illicit discharge, accidental dumping, or spills that resulted in lethal concentratfons of combined pollutants being release into our watersheds. Visit https://www3.epa.gov/ npdes/pubs/nps_month_bookmark.pdf for ways to limit illicit discharges. www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 9 Summer/Fall 2016 Environmental Updates Hennepin County Recyclable Materials Information source http://citybugs.tamu.edu/ factsheets/ipm/what-is-a-neonicotinoid/ You may have heard in the news how the insectfcide neonicotfne potentfally affects bee colonies. Neonicontfnoids are neurotoxins that chemically resemble nicotfne, and act on certain kinds of receptors in the nerve synapse. Recent research points to potentfal toxicity to bees and other wildlife through low level contaminatfon of nectar and pollen with neonicotfnoid insectfcides used in agriculture. Although these low level exposures do not normally kill bees directly, they may impact some bees’ ability to forage for nectar, learn and recall where flowers are located, and may impair their ability to find their way home to the nest or hive. To find out whether an insectfcide you see on the shelf of your hardware store, pest control supply or garden center is a neonicotfnoid, look on the list of actfve ingredients. If you see one of the following names listed, the insectfcide includes a neonicotfnoid:  Acetamiprid  Clothianidin  Dinotefuran  Imidacloprid  Nitenpyram  Thiocloprid  Thiamethoxam To keep risk to bees and other beneficials low, a few simple steps should be followed: 1) follow the label directfons carefully 2) restrict neonicotfne applicatfons to the soil, or during tfmes when bees are not foraging (e.g., in the evening) 3) treat only those individual plants which need treatment for a known pest infestatfon. For a complete artfcle on neonicontfnoids (neonics) visit: http://beyondpestfcides.org/assets/media/ documents/SystemicsCited.pdf How To Maintain A Healthy Lawn Source: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/ FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/ idpmsbr5464.pdf Healthy and green lawns are something every homeowner can have. Many homeowners irrigate too oflen and for too short a period for lawn and landscaping needs. Irrigatfng every day and for too short of a tfme, results in shallow rooted plants. Leaving the water running too long, results in wasted water. Studies show that most lawns require irrigatfon once every 4 to 8 days to stay healthy and green. Irrigatfng less oflen and applying more water per irrigatfon results in deeper rooted plants and healthier grass. Grass roots grow deeper into the soil and plants become stronger if enough water is applied when you do irrigate. If grass doesn’t spring back afler being stepped on, its probably tfme to irrigate. Fertflizing your lawn with phosphorus-free fertflizer products is another way to keep your lawn healthy. Look for the middle number on fertflizer products, there should be a zero (0) in the middle number on the fertflizer product. A 22-0-15 references the nitrate/ phosphorus/potassium content in that order. A zero in the middle means phosphorus-free fertflizer. Apply fertflizer in equal split applicatfons rather than one all-at-once spring applicatfon. For example, apply fertflizer each holiday during the growing season, so once Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Halloween. Split applicatfons distribute the fertflizer throughout the growing season and reduce the danger of burning your lawn or risk of surface runoff. Complete a final water about mid-October to store moisture in the soil over the winter months. A deep watering prior to soil freeze will help ensure lawns, trees and shrubs are healthy for the next spring. Environmental Updates  page 10 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Water Saving Strategies for Home Lawns Provided by University of Minnesota Extension On average, three tfmes more water is used during the summer than in the winter in the Twin Citfes, and much of this water is used outdoors. If you own an irrigatfon system or water your lawn with portable sprinklers, you can reduce your overall water use by implementfng some practfcal strategies: Pay Attention to the Weather During a Minnesota summer we may see heavy periods of rainfall followed by extended periods of drought. Homeowners with lawns should adjust irrigatfon practfces accordingly. Operatfng irrigatfon controllers in manual mode is one way to monitor and cut down on water use, rather than using an automated schedule. Select Turfgrass Species That Use Less Water and Can Tolerate Drought Choice of grass species will impact irrigatfon requirements. Traditfonal turfgrass species for Minnesota include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, and tall fescue. The fescue species offer the best drought tolerance potentfal. Adjust Irrigation Programs to Conserve Water To encourage rootfng and drought tolerance, lawns should be irrigated infrequently (one tfme or less per week) with a sufficient volume of water (up to 0.5 inches). Set irrigatfon programs or sprinklers to water during the morning hours, because daytfme irrigatfon is oflen lost through evaporatfon or wind deflectfon. Implement Water Saving Technologies Rain sensors connected to irrigatfon controllers are vital to conserving water. There’s no need for an automatfc sprinkler system to be used when it’s raining. Conduct an Audit on Your Irrigation System Irrigatfon auditfng is one great way to conserve water. Irrigatfon contractors will oflen perform this service for you if you have a contract with them. Auditfng an irrigatfon system includes three basic steps: 1) checking system components including sprinklers, valves and controllers, 2) conductfng a performance test, and 3) programming the controller. For more informatfon on conductfng an irrigatfon audit, visit the website provided below. Take a Water Survey for a Chance to Win a $50 Visa Gift Card: Survey Conducted by the University of Minnesota Extension http://z.umn.edu/tcwater For more information: U of M Extension Lawn Care: www.extension.umn.edu/turfgrass U of M Turfgrass Science Blog: www.turf.umn.edu Sustainable Landscape Informatfon Series: www.sustland.umn.edu U of M Yard and Garden News: http://blog-yard-garden-news.extension.umn.edu/ Conductfng an irrigatfon audit: https://www.irrigatfon.org/Resources/Audit_Guidelines.aspx ET estfmates for Minnesota: http://agwx.soils.wisc.edu/uwex_agwx/sun_water/et_wimn U of M Climatology Working Group: http://climate.umn.edu/ Environmental Updates Water Buffers Can Improve Water Quality Article from www.pca.state.mn.us/analysis-buffers-do-make-difference-water-quality Buffers are important for clean water and healthy aquatfc life, according to an Minnesota Pollutfon Control Agency (MPCA) analysis of water monitoring and buffer sites across Minnesota. Agency scientfsts examined the quality of buffers next to and upstream of more than 3,500 fish monitoring sites and 3,000 macroinvertebrate (insect) monitoring sites throughout the state to see if buffers really make a difference to water quality. The scientfsts focused on biology because that reflects conditfons of water quality over tfme. Buffer quality was measured by calculatfng the percentage of the buffer area that was undisturbed by human actfvitfes. The data analysis clearly shows that buffers are important for clean water and healthy aquatfc life (fish and insects). The greater the percentage of stream channel that is buffered upstream of a monitoring site, the better the health of the aquatfc life. Watersheds with missing or disturbed buffers have less healthy fish and bug communitfes. The buffer zone is critfcal to protectfng and restoring water quality and healthy aquatfc life, natural stream functfons and aquatfc habitat due to its immediate proximity to the water. On average, streams with:  More than 85% intact buffers have excellent aquatfc life  About 50 – 85% intact buffers have good aquatfc life  Between 25– 50% intact buffers have fair aquatfc life  Less than 25% intact buffers have poor or very poor aquatfc life Scientfsts compared the buffer quality to the health of the fish and invertebrate communitfes at each site. The sites were grouped into “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” “poor,” and “very poor” categories based on the health of the biological community. Click here to see the buffer analysis on the MPCA website, including photos and charts for four example sites in the Lower Minnesota, Zumbro, Blue Earth and Sauk River watersheds. Fast Fact: For more information on watershed areas in Corcoran, to see what soils exist on your property, if there are wetlands present on your property, or what land-type cover exists on your property, view the links below: https://gis.hennepin.us/naturalresources/map/default.aspx www.elmcreekwatershed.org Water Buffer General Information Source: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/ $department/deptdocs.nsf/all/irr6419 What is a buffer zone? Buffer zones are necessary to maintain good water quality, control erosion, and provide wildlife habitat. Buffers protect water quality by slowing the flow of water, trapping sediment, organic matter, nutrients and pestfcides. The vegetatfon that forms is an essentfal part of the buffer zone and is critfcal habitat for macroinvertebrate and micro-organisms. The micro-organisms attach to the soil and vegetatfon in the buffer zone to use the nutrients and organic matter for growth and reproductfon. What are the types of buffer zones? Buffer strips border drainage ditches, irrigatfon canals and wetlands. Buffer strips receive runoff from sources such as cropland. Vegetated filter strips are designed to treat runoff water that flows through them. Vegetated filter strips are more likely to receive runoff water generated from livestock operatfons, such as feedlots, calving pens and manure stockpile sites. The runoff generated by these actfvitfes contains higher concentratfons of contaminants and may resemble wastewater, compared to the runoff received by buffer strips. Why are buffer zones important? Buffer zones are associated with many benefits. Buffers protect water quality and soil erosion. Depending on the vegetatfon established, the buffer zone can be a source of forage productfon for farm operatfons, can improve farm aesthetfcs, and increase livestock health. Beneficial Management Practices (BMP’s) Buffer zones should be used in combinatfon with BMP’s to protect water quality for long-term benefits and include:  Using appropriate manure applicatfon rates that meet crop requirements and incorporatfng manure within 48 hours.  Apply manure at least 100 feet away from any surface water.  Using shelterbelts to control wind erosion.  Providing off-stream watering for livestock.  Limitfng livestock access to surface water.  Divert clean water run-on around all livestock operatfons to limit the amount of water contactfng the manure. Photo above is County Ditch 13A in the Lower Minnesota watershed where the buffer zone is in poor condition and the in-stream habitat is severely degraded in the upstream watershed along with the fish and bug communities.  page 11 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 9 Winter 2015 How Often Do I Need My Septic Pumped? Septfc tanks must be periodically cleaned (pumped) to remove floatfng scum and sludge that accumulate. If either floatfng scum or sludge is allowed to enter the soil treatment system (drain field) it will cause expensive and oflen irreparable damage. How oflen to clean a septfc tank depends on its size, use, and operatfng conditfon. A typical household will calculate a cleaning frequency of 1 to 3 years. A septfc tank in a northern climate will need to have the solids removed more oflen than a tank farther south. This is primarily because the cooler temperatures inhibit bacterial actfon and provide less decompositfon of the sewage solids. A constant foul odor, slow drains, and drains that back up are all signs your septfc tank needs pumping. Contact a qualified septfc system professional from the local yellow pages for additfonal advice. Do Septic and Well Systems Have To Be Inspected Before a Property Transfer? The law requires that prior to signing an agreement to sell or transfer real property, a seller must disclose to a buyer the status and locatfon of the septfc system. The seller must disclose this informatfon in writfng. Further questfons or additfonal informatfon on your septfc system can be directed to Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department at 612-543- 5220, or click on the link below: http://www.hennepin.us/search#q=septfc% 20systems&t=All&sort=relevancy Environmental Updates Septic Systems in Corcoran Although you can’t see your septfc system, there is so much going on underneath the surface of that green grass. Corcoran has approximately 1,400 individual septfc systems, each actfng as its own onsite sewage treatment facility. The proper treatment of waste water reduces health risks to humans and animals, and prevents surface and groundwater from becoming contaminated. Water Use and Your Septic System A typical Minnesotan uses about 110 gallons of water per day. About 60% of that water is used in the bathroom. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of water treated by the septfc is to replace old water-using appliances. Reducing water use conserves the water resources and helps the septfc system. The total amount of water and the pattern of water use affects how the septfc system works. For complete and uniform treatment of wastes, the system needs tfme to work. The ideal situatfon would be to have waste water enter the system as evenly as possible throughout the day and week. Every tfme water is used, waste water enters the septfc tank and an equal amount of water leaves the tank for the drain field. Large volumes of water entering the system in a short period of tfme may agitate and re-suspend sludge and scum into the liquid contents. If this happens, suspended solids are carried into the soil treatment system, clogging soil pores and preventfng adequate treatment. By controlling water use, selectfng appropriate products, and making wise disposal decisions, you can improve performance of the system and avoid major problems. Tips for Caring for Your Septic System  Try to limit synthetfc cleaning products and other chemicals used in your home. They can be toxic to humans, pets, and wildlife, and if allowed to enter a failing septfc system; may reach groundwater, nearby surface water, or the ground surface.  Do not use an "every flush" toilet bowl disinfectants that are placed in the toilet bowl.  Use a high-quality toilet tfssue that breaks up easily when wet. One way to find out if your toilet paper fits this descriptfon is to put a handful of toilet tfssue in a fruit jar half-full of water. Shake the jar, and if the tfssue breaks up easily, the product is suitable for the septfc tank.  Use moderate amounts of "white" toilet paper. Some dyes used in paper are difficult for bacteria to break down.  Fill basin to wash hands or dishes instead of washing under running water.  Use the minimum amount of soap necessary to clean the dishes or while bathing.  Do not use garbage disposal or dispose of vegetables, meat, fat, oil, coffee grounds and other undigested food products in the septfc system.  Select front-loading washing machine that uses 40% less water.  Recharge the water soflener as infrequently as possible or re-route water outside the septfc system. It does not need to be treated.  Never let wash water from latex paint on brushes or rollers go down the drain into the septfc system.  Distribute wash loads evenly throughout the week to avoid overloading the system with large amounts of water.  Additfves, partfcularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer- causing agents) that flow directly into the groundwater along with the treated sewage. Minn. Rules Chapter 7080, specifies that additives must not be used as a means of reducing the frequency of proper maintenance and removal of scum and sludge from the septic tank.  page 12 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 13 Summer/Fall 2016 Corcoran Happenings Owner: Heidi Heiland When did you start your business? My first experience with outdoor work was when I was 16. I was hired by a company that built townhomes to hand water their newly installed landscapes. The gardening bug bit and I began my company, The Garden Girls, with a partner the following year. We operated as a summer business throughout our college careers and then decided to go our separate ways as we had different business philosophies. How did you merge and transition the former Lawn King business to Heidi’s GrowHaus? My husband Dan and I began discussions with the Remers’ (owners of Lawn King) to purchase their 5.33 acre property and assets four years ago. We got serious last June and closed in February of 2016. We have worked diligently since then to blend Lawn King’s established business with ours; we sold our red pole building two blocks to the south to Randahl Constructfon; we moved Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens into the back buildings and hoop houses towards the back of the new locatfon; emptfed the existfng retail building storefront to prepare for our major remodel; we operated from a temporary trailer in the parking lot for six weeks untfl the building was ready for us to move into; we potted up 35,000 annuals and perennials and got as ready as we could for our inaugural spring. It has been quite a wild ride the past four months and now we have an opportunity to hold strategic meetfngs and improve our systems. If you could go back in time and visit with your former self, what would you tell yourself about lessons you’ve learned over the years to save you from mistakes and wrong turns-- what advice would you offer yourself? Today I believe the old adages of “Do what you say you are going to do”, “Look people in the eye when you shake their hand”, “Take responsibility for your actfons and apologize when you make mistakes” “Pray like it depends on God, but work like it depends on you”. When I was younger I think I thought there was some magic bullet or that I would graduate to some supreme understanding, but it really can be quite simple. That and partner with your colleagues (not competftors) to learn and share informatfon, and get a great banker, accountant and lawyer! Do you have any community classes that you would like to share or that are planned at Heidi’s GrowHaus in the coming months? We are excited to be in this wonderful community and look forward to providing many learning opportunitfes. We are stfll developing what our calendar of events will look like for the rest of this season. View www.growhausmn.com/events/ to sign up for the Monthly eNews to stay connected with Heidi’s GrowHausMN.com and Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens and we will regularly announce classes via this communicatfon. Both of our branches share various platiorms to ensure cross pollinatfon (pun intended)! Every other Tuesday at 9:30 am, the U of M Bee Squad will be monitoring our two bee hives. Stop by then if you wish, stand within a screened tent if that is more comfortable and learn about all things bees! Please describe Heidi’s GrowHaus services? All of the wonderful services that Lawn King provided, GrowHaus provides as well, AND we have great new ideas for the future. Our goals include creatfng the next generatfon of Nursery and Garden Center. For example, we grow most of our own diverse plant materials and all of our products are neo- nicotfnoid free so you can be confident that we utflize no chemicals that are harmful for you or the planet. We focus on biology versus chemistry. We prioritfze the building blocks of rich soils for your gardenscape and offer hard to find and beneficial soils and amendments. Our belief in promotfng the Landscape to Table movement ensures that edible plants, tools and classes will be at the forefront as we navigate into our future. We create our own compost tea to improve soils and fertflity and have it for sale in the retail store. Hortfculturalists on site offer gardening advice. We provide tree installatfons and product delivery of soil, mulch or rock. Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens is a Landscape Design and Installatfon company whose core business is Professional Gardening Services. Those services are stfll available under our new footprint of Heidi’s GrowHaus. Why did you choose Corcoran for your business location? My husband and I both grew up in Excelsior and graduated from Minnetonka High School. Our families live within a few miles away and we love the western suburbs. The proximity of our former shop for the last 20 years, made moving two blocks a slam dunk, but more importantly, we believe in this rural up and coming locale. What is the best advice you have received, and that you still follow today? Life is too short to not love what you do for a living. I feel blessed that even afler 37 years I am stfll passionate about the original green industry! Lawn King Property Purchased by Heidi’s GrowHaus Corcoran Happenings  page 14 Summer/Fall 2016 Bill and Charlotte Schalo Memorial Community Service Scholarship The 7th Annual Bill and Charlotte Schalo Memorial Community Service Scholarship was established 2010. The 2016 recipient of the Bill and Charlotte Schalo Memorial Community Service Scholarship is Rockford High School Senior James Hoffmann of Corcoran. Both Bill and Charlotte Schalo were exceptfonal Lions members, and were always giving back to the community in many ways. Bill and Charlotte were always present at Lions and community events, they were actfve in church actfvitfes, assisted and visited homebound seniors, and volunteered for Meals on Wheels, just to name a few of the volunteer contributfons they made to the Corcoran community. In 2010, Bill passed away, and the Schalo family gave the Corcoran Lions a donatfon. In honor of Bill and Charlotte’s many years of service, the Corcoran Lions initfated a scholarship for individuals who exemplify excellent community service in the City of Corcoran. www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Corcoran Lions Scholarships (From left to right) Corcoran Lions member Jerry Cain, Mayor Ken Guenthner, Scholarship Recipient James Hoffmann, Jack Schalo, Corcoran Lions President Dave Poppler, and Jeff Schalo. Corcoran Lions Scholarship Awards Ceremony The Corcoran Lions Scholarship Awards Ceremony was held on Tuesday May 3, 2016, at the Corcoran City Hall. The event on May 3, celebrates the 28th Corcoran Lions Scholarship program. Since the first ceremony in 1989, 872 scholarships totaling $505,500 have been issued to Corcoran students within the public school districts serving the Corcoran area. The 2015-16 school year included 18 recipients who attend school at, Buffalo (7), Delano (1), Maple Grove (2), Orono (1), Rockford (5), Wayzata (1), and West Lutheran High School (1). 2015-16 Corcoran Lions Scholarship Recipients The Scholarship Committee members included Jerry Cain, Sid Buxton, Gene Kissner, Paul Mohr, and Dee Cain. The award process includes five categories: Academics/School and Extra-curricular Actfvitfes, Community Actfvitfes, Leadership, Employment, and other relevant circumstances. Each category is scored 0-5 to arrive at a total score. Profits from the events at Lion’s Park makes the Corcoran Lions scholarship program possible. Future Corcoran Lions Events July 7-10, 2016: Hamel Rodeo Locatfon: Lion’s Park Visit www.hamelrodeo.org August 27, 2016: NTPA Tractor Pull Locatfon: Lion’s Park Gates open at 5:00/Starts at 7:00 September 10, 2016: Demo Derby Locatfon: Lion’s Park Gates open 5:00/Starts at 7:00 October 2016: Haunted Acres (Specific date to be announced) Locatfon: Lion’s Park (From left to right) Maple Grove students, Hannah Todd and Reven Acquard; Rockford Students, Tucker Friedrich, James Hoffmann, Noah Held, Austin Johnson and Madison Krause; Orono student Shea Kennedy; Wayzata student Thomas Smith and Mayor Ken Guenthner. (From left to right) West Lutheran student Trent Vollrath with Mayor Ken Guenthner; Buffalo students Ashlee Hele, Allie Kurre, Kyle Kukla, Chase Schottler, Natalie Heuton, Rebecca Provo and Sarah Lehtola; Delano student Eric Palan. For more information about the Corcoran Lions visit their website at www.corcoranlions.org Another School Acknowledged in Corcoran Elm Hill School #90 was located on Pioneer Trail, just a small distance north from the intersectfon of Hwy 55. In 1956 with only 4 students lefl, the school closed and was moved to another locatfon. It’s new locatfon was on the corner of County Road 19 and Hwy 55 before it eventually burned down. Little is known of the school. The North Hennepin (NH) Pioneer Society is looking for past history of Elm Hill School #90. With your help, the NH Pioneer Society hopes to locate informatfon about Elm Hill School #90 to share at the Summerfest event (see additional information for Summerfest on top right). Future NH Pioneer Society Events: July 10, 2016: Open House at the School 1:00-4:00 pm July 13, 2016: Doug Ohman, Storyteller 6:00 pm Doug Ohman, Public Storyteller and Photographer will speak on “Schoolhouse Memories.” His books and photographs can also be available for purchase. August 21, 2016: Summerfest Event See event information on top right 12:00--4:00 pm For any further information or an appointment to see the school, please contact: Verneal Klersy 763-498-8677 Betty Lange 763-286-0877 Bonnie Maue 763-420-3440 North Hennepin Pioneer Society www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 15 Summer/Fall 2016 NW Area Jaycees Scholarship 2016 Awards Ceremony Congratulatfons to all graduates that reside in the city of Corcoran! It is so wonderful that the city is full of talented individuals who have dedicated themselves to school, and will contfnue on their journey to college, career, or travel. We are especially honored to congratulate the recipients of the Northwest Area Jaycees Scholarship. Each year the Northwest Area Jaycees award Corcoran residents up to $20,000 in Scholarships. Throughout the past decade, the organizatfon has donated over $250,000 to residents. We determine recipients based on four categories: Leadership, Community Involvement, Financial Need, and Academics. All of the scholarship recipients this year have excelled in their leadership, have a passion to serve our community and are truly academic all-stars. We are honored to announce our support to 14 Corcoran residents, all listed in the picture above. You will all make us proud as you contfnue on to higher educatfon and share your leadership skills with your fellow classmates. Be bold, have fun, and don’t forget to give back to the community. Wherever you end up, community is an absolute crucial component to developing safe and welcoming citfes. The Northwest Area Jaycees would like to remind everyone that Corcoran Country Daze is just around the corner! Soflball tournament, family fun day, crafl sale, live bands, fireworks and MORE! Please join us, as we share the spirit of Corcoran at Country Daze (See page 17 for more informatfon)! Back: James Hoffmann, Thomas Smith, Tucker Friedrich, Maddie Krause, Noah Held, Austin Johnson, Keith Nord Front: Jackson Nelson, Sarah Lehtola,Shea Kennedy, Emily Loven, Ashlee Hale Not Pictured: Maddie Tharp, Hannah Todd and Dominick Bouta. Corcoran Happenings Teacher Margaret Schaber Cain (1935) Elm Hill School District #90 Photo submitted by Jerry Cain North Hennepin Pioneer Society Summerfest Event Date: August 21, 2016 Location: Corcoran School 22995 County Road 10, Corcoran, MN Time: 12:00—4:00 pm The North Hennepin Pioneer Society will host the annual Summerfest event with the help from area businesses. Meet and greet friends in the community, and help raise money to support the last remaining, one room school in Corcoran. The school is located 4½ miles west of downtown Corcoran on Hennepin County Road 10. Entertainment by the Jolly Jammers, free face paintfng by Encore Entertainment, kids games, door prizes, Twins tfckets raftfe, Flea Market, Those Pork Chops food cart and more! Fast Fact: Five Crazy Yet Effective Gardening Secrets That May Surprise You 1. Rusty nail water for iron loving plants. 2. Tilling in the moonlight discourages weed growth. 3. Plant mint and other prolific plants in a long pipe that has been buried vertically. Roots must go a long way down to spread. 4. Keep buckets of water warmed by the sun in your garden. At night the heat releases from the buckets of water to warm the garden. 5. Add powdered milk to soil for juicy and sweet tomatoes. Source: www.examiner.com Corcoran Happenings  page 16 Summer/Fall 2016 Source: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ ecology/black_and_yellow_argiope.htm Don’t Be Afraid If you see a spider like the one in the picture above, enjoy looking at the beautfful web and know the spider is harmless to humans. In fact, this very large orb weaver actually does a lot of good, as they eat large amounts of insect pests like flies, mosquitoes and aphids. The official name of this spider is a Black and Yellow Argiope and is a common orb web spider in Minnesota. Orb means it spins a web in a circle. These spiders prefer sunny places with no wind to build their webs, and rarely venture inside human dwellings. Each night, they eat their web and build a new one. Typically this garden spider only lives for one year, afler matfng in the fall, the female eats the males, lays her egg sac on the side the web, then dies soon afler. Spiderlings hatch in the spring. Attracting Spiders to Your Garden The most common garden spiders do not spin webs, rather they hang out in your garden waitfng for prey under bushes or in mulch. Like any predator, spiders are attracted to good huntfng. Perennial herbs that grow into lush bushes can make a good spider conservatory, and mulches like grass clippings create a biodegradable habitat for spiders. A few other good garden spiders include wolf spiders, jumping spiders and crab spiders. Wolf spiders carry their young on their backs and live in shallow underground burrows and are common beneath mulch. Jumping spiders hunt during the day by pouncing on their prey, which includes flies and other winged insects. Wolf spiders also use a string of silk to tether themselves in case they miss a jump. Crab spiders have oversized front legs, making them look like a miniature crab. They are oflen called flower spiders as they are attracted to the bright colors of flowers and can change color to match the flower color they have chosen as their huntfng perch. www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Minnesota’s Good Garden Spiders Corcoran Garden Club Beautifying Corcoran One Garden at a Time The Corcoran Garden Club was recently established and met for the first tfme in Corcoran history on June 28, 2016. The first meetfng included a tour of the future City Hall pollinator plot, and included a discussion of the Corcoran Garden Club objectfves, mission statement and goals. Garden clubs assist communitfes in many ways. They help in the beautfficatfon of neighborhoods, bring community together through gardening connectfons, promote environmental awareness, and allow individuals to share gardening experiences to pass along to new generatfons of gardeners. Stress Reliever Not only is gardening fun, it’s also a stress reliever. A recent study in the Netherlands suggests that gardening can fight stress even better than other relaxing actfvitfes. Two groups in the study were instructed to either read indoors or garden for 30 minutes afler completfng a stressful task. It was reported that the group that completed the 30 minutes of gardening reported being in a better mood and they also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortfsol. Better Mental Health There are also studies that indicate gardening may help improve depression symptoms. A study conducted in Norway with people who were diagnosed with depression, bipolar II disorder, or a seemingly persistent low mood spent six hours a week growing flowers and vegetables. Afler three months, about half of the partfcipants experienced an improvement in their symptoms. Partfcipants even experienced a contfnued more positfve mood three months afler the gardening program had ended. This research suggests that gardening may have been enough to springboard partfcipants out of their doldrum mood. Exercise Who doesn’t love to be out in the sunshine? Gardening gets you out into the fresh air and sunshine. It also gets your heart pumping while you are digging in the dirt, moving and separatfng plants, raking the dirt, weeding, and watering the plants. There are so many different movements in gardening, you get exercise benefits out of gardening without even realizing you are really exercising! While not necessarily cardiovascular exercise, the strength and stretching during gardening are beneficial forms of low-impact exercise. The next Corcoran Garden Club meetfng is scheduled for July 26 to tour the Plymouth city gardens. The Corcoran Garden Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Corcoran City Hall at 7:00 pm, located at 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran. To join the Corcoran Garden Club, email Tom Anderson at tom.thegardener@yahoo.com. The City Hall Community Room is available to rent for family or business events. The Corcoran Community Room is a great locatfon for family holiday gatherings, graduatfon partfes, birthday partfes, weddings, baby or wedding showers, and family reunions. The Community Room is 45 x 45 feet and accommodates seatfng for up to 140, has a full kitchen, men’s/women’s restrooms and access to the Memorial Garden with a gazebo behind the City Hall. Banquet, classroom, and lecture style seatfng are available for room setup optfons. Community Room rental fees per day: Monday-Thursday $150.00 Friday $275.00 Saturday or Sunday $350.00 Park Shelter/Picnic Facility rental fees per day: Park Shelter $80.00 Ballfields/Soccer Fields $30.00 (6 hour usage) Lion’s Field $30.00 (Addl $30.00 per game for lights) Tennis Courts $30.00 (All courts-4 hour usage) Volleyball court $30.00 (4 hour usage) For more information, please contact City Hall at 763-420-2288 or view the City’s website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. Community Room/ Park Rental www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 17 Summer/Fall 2016 Corcoran Happenings Corcoran Country Daze — August 19 and 20, 2016 Information provided by Northwest Area Jaycees (NW Area Jaycees) Welcome to Minnesota’s Largest Backyard Festival It’s free fun for everyone! Jonah and the Whales return to Country Daze on Friday, August 19, along with free Family Day on Saturday, August 20, including a soflball tourney, benefit volleyball tourney, actfvitfes for the kids, hand-crafled “Country Store” and more! Saturday night entertainment includes Hitchville, and Two Hicks and a Chick. Band admission is free with a non-perishable food shelf donatfon. Cash donatfons are also accepted! A grand fireworks display at dark! For more informatfon, visit www.corcorancountrydaze.org or visit the NW Area Jaycees Facebook event page for more details. Corcoran Country Daze is hosted by the NW Area Jaycees and sponsored by several local businesses. Thanks to all for helping to make this event possible this year. See you in August at the ball fields located at 20300 County Road 50, in Corcoran! All proceeds go back to the surrounding communitfes through the many events the NW Area Jaycees support, including hardship donatfons, children’s events, scholarships, food shelf donatfons, etc. Endless Summer Shoulak BreastFest™ Date: September 17, 2016 Location: 20439 County Road 10, Corcoran Noon to 8:00 pm Cost: No admission is required; donatfons are appreciated Early in 2011, Judy Shoulak of Corcoran was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the fall of that year, Judy, her husband Jim, and children Jake, Sarah and Joe — along with Full Circle Studios (a locally-owned recording studio) — began hostfng an annual outdoor music festfval to raise money for breast cancer awareness, research and educatfon, support, treatment, and a cure. Today, Judy and her family are celebratfng her being cancer- free for five years, but the Shoulak BreastFest™ Music Festfval contfnues. Now in its sixth year, the casual backyard festfval has raised over $160,000 for various local charitfes. The charity partners include: Breast Cancer Educatfon Associatfon (BCEA), The Firefly Sisterhood, The Hope Chest, Park Nicollet Foundatfon, Piper Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Minnesota. The day features a Survivor’s Ceremony, and food and beverages from Buffalo Wild Wings and other vendors. Past silent auctfon items have included limited-editfon bicycles and guitars, signed sports memorabilia, grills, tfckets to pro sports events, and handcrafled items. Over the years, tfmeshare vacatfons, trips to the NFL Pro Bowl and other NFL games, and autographed footballs and helmets have been auctfoned off in the live auctfon. This year, Minnesota musicians will again provide live music. Two of the four bands performing include Mooseknuckle Brothers and Free & Easy!  page 18 Summer/Fall 2016 St. Thomas the Apostle Church, located at the intersectfon of County Roads 10 and 116 in Corcoran, will again celebrate their Parish Festfval on Sunday, August 21, 2016. Come enjoy a fabulous turkey dinner from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The festfval also includes: Cash bingo, garage sale, kids’ games, farmers’ market, crafl sale, silent auctfon, cake walk, country music and a grand prize raftfe drawing (you do not need to be present to win). Come enjoy a fun filled aflernoon! St. Thomas the Apostle Annual Parish Festival Sponsored by St. Thomas the Apostle Church Date: August 21, 2016 Location: St. Thomas the Apostle Church 20000 County Road 10 Corcoran, MN 55340 Corcoran Happenings The Great Hope Get-Together Celebratfng the 19th Anniversary of Hope Community Church! Please join us for these FREE actfvitfes! Date: August 19-20, 2016 Location: Hope Community Church 19951 Oswald Farm Road Corcoran, MN 55374 Corn Feed Friday, August 19, 2016 6:00 pm ALL WEEKEND! Hayrides Inflatables Human foosball More informatfon at: www.myhopecommunity.org/ghgt Hope Community Church Celebrates Great Hope Event Sponsored by Hope Community Church Hope Community Church (County Roads 30 & 116) has been actfve in the Corcoran community since it was founded in 1997. One of the key ways they serve through- out the year is through community events such as The Great Hope Get-Together, children’s sports camps, veteran’s dinners, comedy nights, and Christmas events. 2016 Corcoran 5K The Corcoran 5K is part of the two-day Great Hope Get Together event. Join in the fun, food and actfvitfes to encourage and bring together our community. Hope Community Church celebrates the fourth Annual Corcoran 5K Run/Walk in 2016! Date: August 20, 2016 Race Start Time: 8:30 am (Race begins at Hope Community Church) Brunch: 9:30 am Cost: $25.00 before August 17, 2016 $35.00 afler August 17, 2016 Register at: www.Corcoran5K.com Other Great Hope Activities Date: August 20, 2016 Exotfc petting zoo Face paintfng Air-sofl gun range 2016 Corcoran Event Calendar July 7-10: Hamel Rodeo Corcoran Lion’s Park Visit www.hamelrodeo.org July 14: City Council Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers July 19: Parks & Rec Open Forum with Seasonal Recreation Coord Zoë Kesselring 6:00 pm — Community Room July 19: Parks & Trails Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers July 28: City Council Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Aug 2: Corcoran Night To Unite! Visit the City website at Click here for more informatfon Aug 4: Planning Commission Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Aug 11: City Council Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Aug 16: Parks & Trails Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers August 19-20: Corcoran Country Daze www.corcorancountrydaze.org Aug 19-20: Great Hope Get Together Event Locatfon: Hope Community Church Aug 21: St. Thomas Parish Festival Locatfon: St. Thomas the Apostle Church Aug 25: City Council Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Aug 27: NTPA Tractor Pull Locatfon: Lion’s Park Gates open at 5:00/Starts at 7:00 Sept 1: Planning Commission Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Sept 8: City Council Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Sept 20: Parks & Trails Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Sept 22: City Council Meeting 7:00 pm — Council Chambers Sept 10: Demo Derby Locatfon: Lion’s Park Gates open 5:00/Starts at 7:00 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Corcoran Happenings www.ci.corcoran.mn.us  page 19 Summer/Fall 2016 Maple Hills Estates Hope Center Crunches Numbers Whether discussing 33 psi or 23 psi, 120 over 80, 1237 delegates or 1230; whether talking about tfre pressure, blood pressure, or electfon pressure, it seems that numbers matter. When the Hope Center was proposed over four years ago, it was determined the facility would be well used. The Hope Center celebrated its first year anniversary in May, and with the first year anniversary, the facility usage numbers are something to talk about! The graphic above shows the numbers for the Hope Center from May 2015 through April 2016. Everyone who uses the Hope Center for a scheduled actfvity signs into the center at a computer check-in statfon, calculatfng the results you see. Since the center was opened, over 15,000 individuals have checked in for an actfvity, equatfng to over 27,000 person-hours, 500 unique visitors partfcipated and attended actfvitfes such as Homework Help, English classes, Teen clubs, Girl Scouts, fitness work- outs, Zumba classes, computer training, many visitors have attended worship services, one wedding, and over 185 volunteers were involved in making the Hope Center operate on a regular basis. The Hope Center serves individuals, families and the community through programs that assist student learning, help adults connect with one another to offer support and encouragement, connect local needs within homes with appropriate resources, and offer teenagers and young people a message of hope and love that oflen may not exist within their surroundings. Interested in volunteering or learning more about the Hope Center? Visit us at 7900 Maple Hill Road, Corcoran, MN 55340, or find us online at: www.mobilehopemn.org. Absentee Voting – Primary and General Elections Absentee votfng begins for the August 9 Primary Electfon on June 24, and closes on August 8 at 5:00 pm. Absentee Votfng Begins for the November 8 General Electfon on September 23, and closes on November 7 at 5:00 pm. Residents do not need a reason to absentee vote. Residents can come to City Hall, 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340, during office hours to vote absentee. Residents can also submit their absentee ballot applicatfon and vote via mail. New in 2016, if you vote in person via absentee, you will be able to place your ballot in the ballot counter seven days prior to the electfon. More informatfon can be found on the City’s website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. e-Pollbooks New this electfon, electronic poll books (tablet devices) will replace the paper roster check-in and paper Electfon Day registratfon. The e-poll books are expected to help electfon judges through each step of the process. Voters will stfll receive a paper ballot for castfng their vote. Opportunitfes for viewing the new equipment will be available prior to the August 9 Primary. For more informatfon visit www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. Primary Election The statewide primary electfon will take place on August 9. See the Sample Ballot for the Primary (to the right). Candidate Forum Save the date for the City Council Candidate Forum on October 20, at Corcoran City Hall, 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340. For more informatfon visit www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. New Elections Information Section on the City of Corcoran Website A new Electfons informatfon sectfon has been created on the City’s website to provide additfonal informatfon on electfons. You can find this sectfon under the ‘Government’ tab on the City’s website, www.ci.corcoran.mn.us. Candidate Filing The City of Corcoran’s next municipal electfon will be held on November 8, 2016. Corcoran will have three positfons on the General Electfon ballot for City offices: Mayor (two year term) and two City Councilmember positfons (four year terms). Interested Corcoran residents can file for these offices at Corcoran City Hall, 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340. The filing period opens August 2, and closes at 5:00 pm on August 16. City Hall will be open regular office hours (Monday—Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm) during the filing period with extended hours on August 6, from 10:00 am untfl 3:00 pm, and August 16, untfl 5:00pm. The filing fee is $2.00 and is payable upon filing. For more informatfon on candidate filing contact Jessica Beise, City Clerk/Administratfve Services Coordinator via email at jbeise@ci.corcoran.mn.us or via phone at 763-400-7029. Please turn to page 20 for additional election date information. Corcoran News is published quarterly by the City of Corcoran to update residents and businesses on city government news. City Council Ken Guenthner, Mayor kguenthner@ci.corcoran.mn.us Pat Hank, Councilor phank@ci.corcoran.mn.us Mike Keefe Councilor mkeefe@ci.corcoran.mn.us Tonya LaFave, Councilor tlafave@ci.corcoran.mn.us Ron Thomas, Councilor rthomas@ci.corcoran.mn.us City Administrator Brad Martens 763-400-7030 bmartens@ci.corcoran.mn.us City of Corcoran Main Office — 763-420-2288 Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am — 4:00 pm Upcoming Meetings Planning & Commission Meetings July 7, Aug 4, Sept 1, and Oct 6 7:00 pm Parks & Trails Commission Meetings July 19, Aug 16, Sept 20, and Oct 18 7:00 pm Corcoran City Council Meetings July 14, July 28, Aug 11, Aug 25, Sept 8, Sept 22, Oct 13, and Oct 27 7:00 pm City Website www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Primary Election Dates July 19: Last Day to Pre-Register to Vote for the Primary (Registration on Election Day Available) Aug 6: City Hall is Open for Absentee Votfng In-Person from 10:00 am-3:00 pm Aug 8: In-Person Absentee Votfng Ends at 5:00 pm Aug 9: Primary Electfon Day City Council Candidates Aug 2: Filing Opens for Candidates Aug 16: Candidate Filing Closes at 5:00 pm Are you Registered to Vote? Voter Registratfon is required prior to castfng your ballot. Voter registratfon applicatfons can be completed online at https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/ VoterRegistratfon/ VoterRegistratfonStep1.aspx, by clicking here to printout the voter registratfon applicatfon, or by applying in-person on electfon day (includes in-person absentee votfng.) To register, you must be:  A U.S. citfzen  At least 18 years old on Electfon Day  A resident of Minnesota for 20 days  Finished with all parts of any felony sentence  You can vote while under guardianship unless a judge specifically has revoked your right to vote  You cannot vote if a court has ruled that you are legally incompetent. If you have moved, changed names, or haven't voted within four years, you must update your registration by completing a new registration application. Registration Deadlines You may register on Electfon Day, however, individuals are encouraged to register before Electfon Day to save tfme at the polling place. Online registratfon deadline is 11:59 pm, 21 days before Electfon Day. If registering by mail, applicatfons must be received by your electfon office by 5:00 pm, 21 days before Electfon Day. General Election Dates Sept 23: Absentee Votfng Begins Oct 18: Last Day to Pre-Register to Vote for the Electfon (Registration on Election Day Available) Nov 5: City Hall is Open for Absentee Votfng In-Person from 10:00 am-3:00 pm Nov 7: In-Person Absentee Votfng Ends at 5:00 pm Nov 8: General Electfon Day For more informatfon on electfons, contact Jessica Beise, City Clerk / Administratfve Services Coordinator via email at jbeise@ci.corcoran.mn.us or via phone at 763-400-7029. PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID ROGERS, MN PERMIT NO. 98 City of Corcoran 8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340  page 20 Summer/Fall 2016 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us General Information Important Election Dates